


Kirby's Classics Theater: A Christmas Carol

by Silver_Warrior_Wolf



Category: A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens, kirby - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 08:50:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7611544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Warrior_Wolf/pseuds/Silver_Warrior_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three Christmas Spirits are sent to warn a miserly old Pengu about the errors of his ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

Once there was a little city in Dreamland known as Cappy Town. Now, Cappy Town wasn't a perfect city in the least, but it was a pleasant little settlement. The people there were, for the most part, very kind and friendly. Even those who tended to be grouchy were occasionally more laid back, especially around holidays, such as Christmas.

There was, however, one individual who everyone in Cappy Town did their best to avoid. His name was Ebenezer Dedede, the town moneylender. Dedede was such a miser that he forgave no one of their debts and worked his poor employees to the bone. Furthermore, Dedede always seemed to be a jerk, and always got grouchier around Christmas. Whenever someone tried to wish him well, they were always rewarded with a sour, "Bah, humbug!" After a while, the people who did not have to deal with Dedede began avoiding him entirely, which was just fine with him.

However, one Christmas Eve, that all was about to change.

A knock had interrupted Dedede's counting of his wealth. He didn't even bother getting up to answer. "Go away!" he yelled.

"It's me, Uncle Dedede!" a cheerful voice called back. "I'll come in to see you!"

Dedede scowled. It was his nephew, Rick. Rick was his sister's son, but often he wondered if there was any sort of relation at all. Most of the time he did his best to avoid his cheery relative.

Rick came in in the same sunny mood he was always in. "Merry Christmas, Uncle Dedede!" the young hamster exclaimed. He was carrying a Christmas wreath with him, which he hung on the door as he entered the shop. "I noticed you didn't have any decorations up, so I took the liberty of getting this wreath. Makes everything seem to brighten up, doesn't it!"

"It looks like a tacky waste of money," Dedede sneered. "You shouldn't waste on such things. You're poor enough as it is. Take it down now and state your business. I don't have any time now for foolishness."

Rick sighed. He believed in the good in everybody and did his best to try to bring it out in people. However, his uncle was a very difficult man and it seemed hopeless at times.

"Well," Rick said as he complied with the demands, "I'm having a party tonight, since it is Christmas Eve, and I was hoping you would attend."

"A Christmas party?" the Pengu asked, contempt clear in his voice. "Bah, humbug! I wouldn't waste my valuable time at such frivolity! You should know that by now!"

"Well, yes, but it's not just that," Rick continued. "It's just that, well, I've met someone. She's a nice girl named Pick, and we're going to be married. I wanted you to meet her, and since she'll be at the party tonight, I thought it would be a good time."

"Love," Dedede scowled. "That's nearly as silly as Christmas. Just something you waste your time and money over. No, I'm not coming tonight, and in the future I'd hope you'd at the very least not waste yours and my time by bothering to ask. Now get out!"

Rick was clearly disappointed, but did as requested. "Alright, Uncle Dedede. Merry Christmas."

However, it wasn't long before there was knock at his door. The Pengu, annoyed that someone else had come to waste his time, went over and opened the door. Outside stood two men whose faces were obscured by the green armor they wore.

"Merry Christmas, good sir," one of them said. "My name is Sword, and this is my companion Blade. We're gathering money for the poor of Cappy Town. We were wondering if you would like to give a donation, especially considering what night it is."

"The poor!" Dedede snapped. "What have the poor ever done for me!?"

"But it's not about what's in it for you," Sword said calmly. "It's what we can do to help others less fortunate than our selves. Please, there are many people out there who won't have a Christmas tomorrow without the aid of others."

"Well, then maybe they should be out looking for jobs rather than lounging about because it's some sort 'a holiday!"

Sword would try one more time. "But sir," he cried, "There are so many out there in desperate need for help! A simple donation could save lives!"

"If they're so poor they can't keep themselves alive, they might as well die and get it over with! You won't see a penny from me! Now get outta my shop!" With that, the Pengu slammed the door on the duo.

Outside, the two sighed. They had expected this sort of thing, but thought it best to ask anyway.

After this interruption, Dedede went back to work. Shortly after, however, there was a timid knock at his door. The Pengu scowled. "Who is it?!" he snapped angrily. "This had better be good!"

Mr. Cratchit entered the room, holding his scarf in his hands. Near by the door, Bandana looked in nervously to observe the conversation. "Well, sir," Mr. Cratchit began, nervousness clear in his voice, "Bandana and I have finished our work for the evening. We are heading home now."

Dedede snorted. "Is that all ya' came to tell me?" he said, clearly displeased with the message. "So long as you get the work done and you're here first thing in the morning, I don't care what ya choose to do."

"Well, sir, that's the issue, you see," Cratchit continued. "You see, tomorrow is Christmas, and the boy and I were wondering if we could stay home."

"Stay home?" Cratchit backed up nervously at the question. Suddenly Dedede laughed. "Of course you can stay home tomorrow! While you're at it, you don't have to come back at all! I'll just find somebody else to fill your position!"

"But sir!" Cratchit cried in horror. "We need this position! We hardly earn enough to support ourselves as it is!"

"Then I'll be seeing ya first thing in the morning," Dedede sneered.

Cratchit bowed his head. "All right then, sir. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Bandana called back as he and his father left the shop.

"Christmas," Dedede scowled under his breath. "Bah, humbug! Just a silly excuse for lazy people to stay away from work." With that, he turned back to observing his wealth.

Dedede once again shook his head at the parting, but forgot about it instantly once he was back to counting his money.

He sighed. This sort of nonsense never happened back when his old partner, Jacob Tokkori, was still alive. That bird seemed to know just how to keep those troubling merry-makers away. He was also brilliant when it came to money making schemes. Sadly, Tokkori had passed on seven years ago. Shame too, as Dedede hadn't be able to find another partner like that again, and had long given up trying to.

When he finally finished his work, the Pengu packed up and returned to his home. It was later in the evening, so most people weren't out and he ran into no one on the way back. He didn't mind one bit. That was how he liked it.

When he reached his home, he reached for the handle when he noticed something. The knocker on the door, which usually resembled a fire lion with the handle in its mouth, had changed. Now it resembled a bird with a cloth tied around his head. The bird looked intently at Dedede with piercing eyes.

Dedede stumbled backwards for a moment and rubbed his eyes before checking back on the knocker. However, this time it had changed back to normal. He chuckled to himself. Just an overactive imagination. That had to be it.

Once inside, Dedede ate his supper and then went to prepare for bed. He was satisfied with his life, even if some people were annoyances. Yes, he had made his money fair and square, and if some people put more stock in silly celebrations, well, he couldn't help it, could he? All he could do was make sure their stupidity didn't affect him!

As he started to drift off a sound startled him into wakefulness. It was a clacking, as if boxes were being dragged. He tried to ignore it at first, but then a voice joined in with the clacking. "Ebenezer Dedede! Hear the warning while there is still time!"

Dedede did recognize the voice, and shot up as soon as he heard. "Where are ya?" he called out. He knew that voice, but he couldn't believe it was really him. "Who are ya, and who do you think you're trying to fool?"

The speaker appeared after that. Sure enough, it was Tokkori, looking just as he did the last time his partner had seen him, when he had died. However, there was one major difference. The bird was wrapped in long chains which had deeds, legers, and keys all along the sides, and at the ends of each chain was a locked money-box. "Ebenezer Dedede, I've come to bring you warning! Repent of your ways! "

The Pengu stared in shock. "Tokkori, is that you? What do you mean?"

Something changed in the ghost of the small bird. "Of course it's me!" he snapped after delivering a swift peck to the head. "Who else would it be?! And it means stop being such a skin-flint jerk!"

"Yep, it's you alright," Dedede grumbled as he rubbed his head. "How'd ya get like that, Tokkori?"

The bird went back to the previous attitude. "Like I was sayin' before, I was sent to give you warning. I made these chains I wear during my life by the selfishness I lived. Each link is a time when I had the responsibility to help someone and purposefully refused to! You have one too, Dedede, and it was as long as mine is when I died, and you've been working at it furiously! Give up your old lifestyle, or else you will end up like me!"

Dedede was eager to end this conversation, and was willing to say whatever it took to make it end. "Of course. Starting next week, I'll see what can be moved over. Within reason of course. Rome wasn't built in a day however."

Tokkori shook his head. "You don't understand. You can't wait for this! This is a change that can't wait! Can't you understand! I didn't know when it was my time, and now look at me! Heed my word, Dedede, you must change your ways soon! Don't lose your time the way I did!"

Dedede was feeling more confident by now. He straightened himself and spoke more confidently to the ghost. "Now, come on, Tokkori. These things can't be done now. Perhaps next week, after several of my transactions are through. Then I can focus on whatever it is you're telling me."

The ghost bird sighed. "You clearly aren't gonna listen to my warning, so hear my prediction. Tonight, at the stroke of one, you will be visited by three spirits. They will give you the same warnings I have. Hopefully they'll be better at knocking some sense into that thick skull of yours." With that, the ghost flew out of the window and vanished.

It took Dedede a moment to process what he had just seen. Certainly, he couldn't have just seen a ghost! Could he?

Eventually, he decided that he must have just eaten something bad and it gave him hallucinations. "Ghosts, bah, humbug!" he snickered. "Just a mixture of those annoyances from this evening and some bad cheese, that's all that was! The real Tokkori wouldn't come speaking such nonsense." With that decision, he turned out the light and went to sleep.


	2. Two

Because he was asleep, he didn't notice when the clock struck one. Something happened, however, even without his notice. The window opened, and through it flew a small light. The light landed on the dresser and took the form of a little fairy with pink hair wearing a white dress and hair bow. The fairy went up and nudged the sleeping Pengu. "Ebenezer Dedede, please wake up," she said. "Time is of the essence!"

Dedede mumbled in his sleep before turning over away from the irritation. This miffed the fairy, who then picked up a candle stick and smacked Dedede with it.

He shot up at that. "I'm awake!" he cried, covering his head with this hands. "Don't kill me!"

He peaked out and noticed who he was with. "Hey, who the heck are you and why are you in my house?"

The fairy curtsied before explaining. "My name is Ribbon," she said. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I have come to you, Dedede, to show you your past."

"My past, huh," Dedede snorted. He had been expecting something odder, and the little fairy wasn't doing much to impress him. "Well, girly, I know my own past well enough. I don't need no pixie telling me what I already know, so get on your way!"

"You don't understand, Dedede," Ribbon interjected. "Don't you remember the warning from earlier? You must change your ways, and to help you see why, you need to understand how you got here in the first place. Can't you see, this is for your own good?"

"A good night's rest will do me a lot more good than having a pixie go over old stories with me," the Pengu scowled.

The fairy huffed. "First of all, I'm not a pixie, I'm a fairy. There's a difference. Secondly," here a look of mischief came into Ribbon's eyes, "I said I was going to show you your past, not tell you about it. Now if you'll kindly accompany me to the window."

Dedede was growing nervous now. "I've looked out that window before. There's nothing there that can impress me."

Ribbon rolled her eyes before flying over and catching Dedede by the collar of his nightshirt. "Come on, you big baby," she said as she flew out with him. "We're going to take a little trip."

As the two flew through the night air, a light began to grow steadily in intensity, until it became clear that it was daylight. Ribbon landed soon, setting Dedede down in the snow. "You can open your eyes now," she said sweetly. "We're on the ground."

The Pengu was hesitant to comply but did so. He was surprised to see that they were standing in the middle of a town square, but not one in Cappy Town. No, this was another city.

"You know this place, don't you?" Ribbon asked.

"I should hope so," he said, half snapping and half in a daze. "I spent most of my childhood here!"

"Of course you did," the fairy responded calmly. "Look over there." She was pointing to a school house.

"Yeah, it's a school. What about it?"

"I meant look inside it!" Ribbon was clearly not pleased with having to take him through every step of the way.

He complied, and was completely shocked by what he saw. Inside, alone and sitting at a desk by himself, was a young Pengu boy. This stunned Dedede into silence, and he could only look in shock at the image of his younger self.

As he watched, the image grew older, until it was an almost grown teenager. The past Dedede had been simply reading the whole time and almost didn't notice when a young hamster girl, a good deal younger than himself rushed in.

"Ebenezer!" the girl cried out.

Past Dedede looked on in surprise. "Fan! What are you doing here?"

The girl embraced him. "Father says you can finally come home! We can finally spend Christmas together! Come, the carriage is waiting to take us back!" With that, the two rushed out, leaving the viewers alone.

"You recognized her after all this time, didn't you," Ribbon said after a few moments of silence.

"Course I remember Fan," Dedede responded, trying to sound annoyed but to nostalgic and rather said to do so properly. "She's my own sister, after all."

"She was such a sweet person," the fairy added, a tone of sadness in her voice. "She loved everyone, and wanted so much to have a child."

"She did have a child," he informed sharply.

"Yes. Your nephew, Rick." Dedede flinched, suddenly ashamed of how he had treated the young hamster. He was relieved when Ribbon began flying again.

"Come," she said. "Let us see another Christmas." With that, the scene changed once more.

This time, the scene was a peaceful looking shop. Within, a Green Puffal was working to put together some paperwork.

"I know him!" Dedede cried as he observed. "That's Mr. Feldspar! I used to work for him!"

Suddenly, the Puffal looked up from his work. "Ah!" He cried out, slamming the papers in a drawer. "Ebenezer! Dick! Magolor! It's time to set everything away!"

Eagerly, three boys rushed into the room. One of them was a young Dedede. The other two were a purple snail and a white-clad Halcandrian, both of whom looked to be about Dedede's age. They three eagerly set to putting away the furnishing of the business.

"I hope you remember those two as well," Ribbon commented, smiling at the comical scene.

Dedede for once seemed rather nostalgic. "That's Dick Escargoon and Magolor Wilkins." He smiled at the memories. "We three used to always get into trouble together. Old Feldspar never minded too much, though."

The scene passed fast. Even though neither Ribbon nor Dedede moved, it was soon clear they were no longer at a shop. Instead, they were at the Feldspar household, where a Christmas party was in full swing. Everyone in attendance, from the host and hostess to the lowliest servant were all having a grand time. When the festive was over, Mr. and Mrs. Feldspar said goodnight to each before sending them on their way.

Dedede smiled at the memory. "Those were the days," he mused quietly, more to himself than to his companion.

"Seems like a waste, huh," the ghost asked him. "After all, they weren't doing anything productive." There was a tone in the fairy's voice that scolded Dedede on his hypocrisy.

The Pengu, however, didn't catch it. "What do ya mean? Everyone had a blast with these parties! No one could feel bad when they were attending one of the Feldspar's parties."

Dedede could have stayed at this scene forever, but Ribbon caught him by the collar. "Come on," she said. "My time's almost up, and there are still two more scenes you must see." With that, they flew off.

When they had landed, it was clear that they were several years in the future. Dedede, now grown, was standing with a female Pengu. They were clearly discussing something that was distressing the both.

Once he recognized what was happening, Dedede turned to go. "I remember well enough what happened here," he snapped. "Let's get home now."

He got up to leave, but Ribbon pushed him back down. "You've got to watch what's happening," she said. "It's make the next scene make more sense."

"I'm sorry, Ebenezer," the female Pengu said. "When we made that promise, we both were poor and in love. However, I get the feeling there's a new love in your life."

"What do you mean," younger Dedede said. There was the beginning of his typical harshness in his voice. "I haven't looked at any other lady for years, Belle."

Belle sighed. "Yes, but do you really feel the same way for me that you did before you opened that shop with Tokkori?" When Dedede didn't respond, she sighed again. "That's what I thought. I release you from your vow, Ebenezer. Goodbye, and I wish you happiness in whatever life you chose."

The scene melted away one more time. Belle was still present this, but was older. A young Pengu girl sat at her feet, and there were multiple children surrounding her.

Suddenly, one of the children rushed into the room. "Papa's home!" he declared in excitement. Immediately, the room came alive in excitement. A Pengu, not Dedede, entered the room, surrounded by the eager little ones.

Belle got up and kissed the man. "Merry Christmas, Thomas!" she said, love clear in her voice.

The Pengu man laughed. "It's looking to be the merriest in a long time." He began to hang up his coat. "I happened to see an old friend of yours today. I'll bet you'll never guess who it was."

Belle sighed. "It was Dedede, wasn't it?"

"Got it in one try!" Thomas laughed. "I called out for him to have a Merry Christmas, and do you know what he did? He slammed the window down without a single word!"

"Oh, dear, Dedede." The Pengu woman shook her head. "You never change, do you?"

By now, Dedede had had enough. "Take me home now, ya pixie," he scowled at Ribbon. "I've had enough of this! We're going home now!"

Much to his surprise, she complied immediately. "As you wish," she said. Once more, she took him by the collar and flew off.

This time, they landed back in Dedede's bedroom. By now, the old Pengu was livid. "What do ya think you were doing?" he asked, his voice almost a yell. "I could remember all that stuff well enough on my own! I didn't need some ghost to show me them again!"

"Ah, but you did," Ribbon responded. "You might remember them, but memories can be dimmed by time. You needed to see what had happened as it happened if you were to think about how you got here."

"Well, I've had enough of our little trip down memory lane," he scowled, turning his back on the fairy. "Why don't you just get lost?"

"My time is up anyways," Ribbon said calmly. "I must go now. Goodbye, Dedede. The next ghost will be arriving very soon. I hope that he can do more for you than I did." With that, she turned back into a ball of light and vanished.


	3. Three

After she had gone, Dedede decided to stay awake. He had no intention of being snuck up on again by another ghost. So he took to a chair in his room, rather than the bed, and sat to try and keep watch for the next visitor.

However, the lull of the night air was too much. The Pengu fell asleep not ten minutes after he sat down. He was awakened by the sound of the clock striking one.

He sat up nervously, awaiting the new spirit. However, much to his surprise, he was completely alone. The room was completely empty, with no sign of any change.

However, there was a bright glow coming from the stairway. Dedede crept out, not quite certain what he would find, but confident that he was ready for whatever had come.

He was surprised to find that someone had decorated his parlor for Christmas! There were Holly wreaths all around the room. The fireplace, which had been bare for many years, had a fire roaring within it. Candles and bows decorated the shelves, and a large exquisite tree was in the corner. What attracted the most attention, however, was an odd pile in the middle of the room.

The pile was made up of all sorts of things. There were all sorts of presents, as well as a variety of good foods. Ribbons and other decoration were scattered about in a festive manner, and seated right at the very top of this pile was a mouse.

The mouse leaped down from the pile as soon as he saw that Dedede had noticed him. He was dressed festively, in a green fur-trimmed cape and a green hat with a sprig of holly in it. In his hand was what looked like a large gold cane, though he seemed so spry that Dedede couldn't think of why he would need it.

"So, Ebenezer Dedede, you have finally awakened," he said, giving a bright grin. The mouse then took off his hat and bowed deeply. "I am Daroach, the Ghost of Christmas Present, at your service." He then straightened out and replaced his hat. "I am here to show you the Christmas of today."

Dedede, who had been expecting something much more impressive than this visitor, got a bit bolder. "Great, another trip," he grumbled. He sighed. "No sense in saying no, I guess. I don't need a rat to show me what I already know, but I suppose you'll just drag me out if I resist."

Daroach winced at the comment, though he never lost his bright, if a bit mischievous, smile. "Ribbon taught you about our ways, I suppose. However, I am a mouse, not a rat. You will do well to keep that in mind."

Once again, the ghost went over to the window. "Shall we be on our way?"

The Pengu nodded, though he stared nervously out the window. "Alright, but keep close to the ground while you're flying. The last one stayed high and I don't think I can do that again."

A playful look came into Daroach's eyes. "Who said anything about flying?" With that, he took Dedede by the wing and started to run and jump over the rooftops.

"What the heck are you trying to do!" the Pengu cried as they ran. "Kill me!?"

"It's called _Parkour_ ," the mouse answered calmly, "and you're perfectly safe. Just hold on tight."

"No need to tell me twice!"

As they raced over the Cappy Town Skyline, scenes of Christmas festivity greeted the two. Cappies shopping for last minute preparations waved cheerfully to one another as they passed. Occasionally some would stop and chat for a few moments, enjoying the simple pleasantries of each others company.

Soon, these scenes passed, and the duo were passing by simple houses where families and friends were enjoying their Christmas. Most of these houses were rather poor. Among them were the simple houses of the miners of nearby areas. Though poor, these small settlements were filled with the eager cheer of the Christmas season. There was also least one ship, with its passengers eagerly dreaming of home.

At each of these pleasant stops, Daroach would pause for a moment and wave his cane over the humble party. Dedede noticed that whenever this happened, a sort of glow, already present when they had entered the scene, seemed to become warmer and brighter. The celebrators seemed to notice this too, and they became rather giddy with glee when this happened, though they never responded to the mouse directly.

After this had happened several time, the Pengu had to beg the question. "What are you doing there?"

"What do you mean?" Daroach asked, though the tone in his voice said that he wanted further thought to go into the wording.

"With that cane of yours. I see what you've been doing there." Here the Pengu motioned to the cane. "Why do you keep doing that, and why does it seem to have some sort of effect?"

"Ah, you noticed my job," the mouse replied simply. "It is my vocation to grace the homes of those who are truly celebrating this most wonderful season, just as it had been the vocation of my family for years. This year it is my turn, as I am the youngest."

"You're the youngest, huh?" Dedede chuckled. "I suppose you'd have a large family, being a rat an all. Ow!"

At the "rat" comment, Daroach had given the miser a hard knock over the head. "As I said before, I am a mouse, not a rat. As for the other comment, yes, I do have a large family. There are more than eighteen hundred of us. Ah, we are now at our first destination." With that, the two landed in front of the poor little house that was the Cratchit household.

"I know this place," Dedede muttered. "This is where my good-for-nothing clerks live. What are we doing here?"

"Be quiet and listen," the ghost scolded. "You'll see why soon enough."

Within, Mrs. Like-Cratchit was hard at work preparing the supper for this evening. With he was her eldest daughter, Tiff. Nearby, the next eldest in age, a set of twin girls named Ado and Adeleine, were setting the table.

"Please make certain that the pudding is cooking properly, Tiff," the mother instructed her daughter. "Your father and brothers will be home soon. I want to be able to sit down as soon as they are back."

She then looked up as the sound of the back door closing signaled the arrival of the next three of the Cratchit children. "Tuff, Lololo, Lalala, you didn't bother the goose, did you?"

"No, ma'am," Lalala answered.

"We just wanted to take a look," her twin continued. "We didn't touch anything, honest."

"This is the best dinner we've had yet!" Tuff said, grinning enthusiastically. "When will Dad, Bandana, and Kirby be home?"

"Soon, hopefully," his mother answered. "They should be on their way now, but you know how Kirby is. He just has to greet everyone, especially at this time of the year." She smiled as she thought of her youngest.

She enough, it was only a few minutes before the front door opened. Bandana was the first to enter, carrying a small crutch. Behind him, Mr. Cratchit came in carrying a small pink Puffal with him.

As soon as the little boy was set on the ground, Tuff ran up to him. "You gotta see the goose, Kirby! It's nearly as big as you are!"

Kirby grinned broadly at the prospect. "Poyo!" he declared fervently. As soon as Bandana handed him the crutch, the little Puffal hobbled out after his brother to see the exciting meal.

"I'm sorry we're late, dear," Cratchit said as he sat down. "Kirby loves to stay after the service and greet everyone as they leave. Do you know what he told me today? He said that he hopes people notice him at this time of the year, and that he reminds them of Him who made the blind see and the lame walk."

Mrs. Like-Cratchit shook her head in amusement at her son. "He's growing more mature with every day. Hopefully that cough won't amount to much."

A dark cloud seemed to settle over the two, but they shook it off as soon as they could.

Soon the children rushed back inside and everyone prepared to have dinner. The meal was extremely pleasant, even though it was rather small. The family talked eagerly and vibrantly among themselves, enjoying their Christmas Eve.

After supper, the family gathered around the hearth and a heated drink was shared as carols were sung. All in all, it was a beautiful sight.

Throughout this vision, something bothered Dedede. "Hey r-I mean, Daroach, what did they mean about a cough? That little fella's gonna be ok, right?"

The spirit, who had been watching the scene with a serene delight, suddenly grew mournful. "If the path we are on continues," he said in a dark tone, "then this time, next year, I see a little stool in the corner. Over it rests the crutch of its lost master. Neither the stool or crutch will be touched for a very long time."

Suddenly, Daroach's tone turned rather sarcastic. "But what do you care? If he's so poor he can't keep himself alive, perhaps he should just die and get it over with." The Pengu flinched, not liking to hear repeated what he himself had stated.

Suddenly, the mouse turned to leave. "Come. My time is nearly up and we have one last stop to make." With that, he grabbed Dedede and began running again.

Their next stop was, once again, a house Dedede recognized. It was a humble little house, better off than the Cratchit abode but still rather poor. It was here that Rick lived, and inside a Christmas party was in full swing.

The guests had all arrived by now. Inside, Rick had begun his party, gathering all the guests together.

Rick held up his glass, calling for a toast. "I would like to thank you all for coming tonight," he started. "It is so wonderful to see all these happy faces coming to join in the Christmas celebration. It means so much to Pick and I that you would come to enjoy this wonderful celebration with us. I want to raise a toast to all friends and families celebrating together tonight."

So the toast was happily shared. A hamster girl sitting next to Rick, who Dedede assumed was the aforementioned Pick, smiled brightly and happily squeezed Rick's paw. "No one would miss anything you invited them to, dear," she said. "You always do so much to make sure everyone's so happy."

One of the guests, a rather dignified looking owl named Coo, nodded in agreement. "Quite right, and your efforts never go to waste."

Another guest, an old cat named Nago, snickered. "Except when it comes to that old penny-pinching uncle of yours, that Dedede!" Nago's wife, Shiiro, angrily elbowed to keep quiet.

Rick gave a small laugh in response. "Uncle Dedede means well, I'm sure. He just doesn't seem to want to take time off to enjoy himself doing anything other than earning money. I invited him to attend tonight, but he seemed to be too busy."

"Well, that would be his loss then," Mrs. Yuki, another of the guests, retorted. "Celebrations like this don't always come around. If he's not too careful, even the chance at invitation will stop as well."

"I don't plan on giving up any time soon," the young hamster responded. "I'll ask him next year, and the year after that, until he can't do anything but accept simply to get me to stop asking!"

"You've got more patience than I can imagine, then," Rick's friend, Kine, laughed from the tank set up for him. "If he were my uncle, I would try to stay away at all cost."

"I for one rather pity him," Pick said, he soft voice now clear and firm. "He doesn't understand what a wonderful nephew he's got. If Rick is willing to do his best to try to bring the old Pengu around, I say we do our best to help."

Rick happily put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Thank you, my dear." Once again, he raised his glass. "I have one more toast now. To Uncle Dedede. May he be enjoying his holiday, however he chooses to celebrate it."

For the sake of the toaster, rather than the toasted, the guests raised their glasses. Once they had drunk the toast, the scene once more faded away.

After this, Dedede noticed for the first time that they were not anywhere that he recognized. It was a dark alleyway, without a familiar building in sight. "Where the heck are we?" he asked, a hint of hostility clear in his voice. "What they heck are we doing here?"

"I have one last thing to discus with you," Daroach responded. "Do you have any idea why I showed you these scenes?"

The Pengu snorted. "Yeah. You got some 'be thankful for what you have' message coming, and frankly, I don't need ta hear it!"

The ghost buried his face in his hand. "Oh, boy are you a piece of work. Meta Knight's gonna have his work cut out for him." The mouse looked up and shook his head. "Hopefully this will help a bit," he said, regaining his rather cheeky smile.

With a swift movement, he whipped his cape back, revealing two Waddle Dee kittens clutched around his legs. They were the ugliest kittens Dedede had ever seen. "Look well at these two," Daroach continued. "They are the children of all men."

Dedede could not think of how to respond, but thankfully for him, the ghost had more to say. "The girl is named Want, and the boy Oblivion. Fear them both, but fear the boy more, for it is in his face that I see destruction."

With a quick movement, Daroach pulled his cape over the whole scene, and when Dedede could see again, he was alone in his bedroom. The clock was about to strike one.


	4. Four

Dedede stood still, awaiting the final ghost to appear. He remembered that the last ghost had addressed the coming one by name. Meta Knight. The Pengu grinned to himself. What kind of name was Meta Knight? Besides, he'd probably just tell some sappy stories as well. Nothing to be worried about. Most certainly nothing to be afraid of.

The clock rang one, and Dedede jumped, waiting for something to happen. However, unlike the last two times, no light shined out. Not from the window and not from the stairway. This made the Pengu even more confident. "This Meta Knight's a no-show!" he laughed. "I'll bet that guy saw how I did with those other guys and realized he had no chance. I knew I didn't have anything to worry about!" He turned, and found himself face to face with the next specter.

This one was heavily cloaked. Unlike the other two, his race was not easily identified due to the thick hood and cloak he wore. His shape seemed to suggest a Puffal, but there was really no easily determining. Furthermore, the heavy hood he wore completely obscured his face, so that only a pair of golden eyes shown out in the otherwise blackened area. The only light anywhere around the spirit came from the gleaming sword in his gloved hand. Everything about this spirit spoke of one who was listened to without question.

When the ghost said nothing, Dedede did his best to try to speak. "S-so I guess you're Meta Knight, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come?" The only response was a silent, solemn nod.

"Well, I suppose you're gonna show me some scenes, too, huh?" Dedede asked quickly, not wanting to earn the spirit's ire. When the ghost nodded again, he hurriedly continued. "W-we should get moving then. No use burning the midnight oil, right?" He let out a stressed laugh, and was disappointed when the ghost merely looked at him. Right now the Pengu would do anything to get away from those burning golden eyes.

Much to his surprise, this ghost did not move towards the window. Instead, he pointed with his sword to the door before going in that direction himself. Dedede was not entirely crazy about following the strange and rather creepy figure anywhere, but he decided he'd better do as he was directed, rather than face the anger of the mysterious creature.

They walked out, and for a moment Dedede though something must have gone wrong, for the light outside was intensely bright. After a few moments, however, he realized that it was, indeed, early morning. They were directly outside of the house where the Pengu lived, but something about the building seemed rather eerie and dilapidated.

Nearby, several Cappies were walking with each other. Like the people from the last few visions, these couldn't see or react to Dedede or his guide.

"Did you hear that he croaked last night?" the first one said to his companions. "The housekeeper that comes around every now and then was the first one top find him."

"'Bout time," another one commented. "Ol' cheapskate's been sullying these streets for too long already."

"Do you suppose," a third inquired, "if anyone'll attend the funeral?"

"I know I won't," the first said sharply. "He couldn't spare anything in his life. Why should I spare my time in his death?"

"I think I'll be going," the third continued, "if their giving a lunch to the mourners."

"Always thinking with your stomach," the second commented, and the three laughed as they walked away.

Dedede watched, uncertain of how to interpret what he had just witnessed. "Who were they," he asked, turning to the ghost, "and what were they talking about?"

The ghost, however, made no response. Instead, he motioned to another direction with his sword, beckoning the Pengu to follow. Once again, Dedede complied, but had a very uneasy feeling about this whole ordeal.

The two traveled at a rather slow pace, especially compared to the quick rush the other two spirits had been in. The entire time the ghost remained completely silent, but glancing back every now and again, as if making certain that Dedede was with him.

After a while, they reached an area of Cappy Town that Dedede had never seen before. It was dark and run down, with almost no one to be seen. The Pengu quietly hoped that they would move on past this creepy place, but instead they stopped in front of one of the creepiest buildings in the area. There the spirit stopped and motioned for Dedede to look within.

Inside, there sat a strange ninja-like man. He seemed to be on the watch for someone, but like the others from before, he did not respond to Dedede or the ghost. He shot up, however, at the sound of the door in the back opening and shutting.

"Hey, Biospark!" a loud voice called from the direction of the door. "We're back, and wait 'till you see the loot we got!"

"Keep it down!" the man, Biospark, snapped. "Do you want to bring the cops here, Tac?"

The second person, a cat-like thief named Tac, shook his head. "Ah, you're always too jumpy. They haven't caught us in seven years, I highly doubt they'll catch us now."

Tac was followed in by several other thieves from his band. One of them, a witch dressed in thick heavy cloths that obscured her, was carrying a large sack. "Shall I show what we got, boss?" she asked the cat.

Tac rubbed his paws together in anticipation. "Do it, Smirror."

Smirror did so, emptying the contents of the bag onto the ground. Biospark began going through the items examining each and every one of them. "So silverware, not worth much though."  
A thief with a flaming headpiece shrugged. "Not our fault. Did you think that that old cheapskate would be keeping anything good like that at all?"

Biospark ignored him, going back to the pile of loot. "A few moth-eaten cloths, a couple of candlesticks, and, now what's this?" He held up a thick cloth.

"The bed curtains!" Smirror laughed. "Tore 'em down right before we left. They looked expensive, and besides, it's not like he's gonna be needing them anytime soon." With that, the bandits laughed, before setting back to dividing their ill-gotten gains.

Once more, Dedede was confused as to why they were there. "Why did we come all the way out here just to see a bunch of thieves?" he asked harshly. He saw the spirit's eyes turn slightly red, so he added in a more respectful tone, "I mean, I'm having a hard time connecting the dots here. Can't you help me out?"

Meta Knight only looked at him for a moment, before waving his arm again. This time, the scene melted away on its own. When everything became totally clear, the Pengu could see that they were standing in the main living room of the Cratchit home.

Inside, Mrs. Cratchit sat, doing some needlework. Nearby, the girls sat doing work themselves. The small party was extremely quiet, as if some sever matter had happened, but none of them wished to speak of it. Dedede found it difficult to believe that this could have been the same place that Daroach had shown him.

The atmosphere was so thick and quiet that everyone but the ghost jumped when the sound of a door opening and closing sounded. Mr. Cratchit entered soon, closely followed by Bandana and Tuff.

Mrs. Cratchit stood up as soon as he came in and embraced her husband. He gave a small, halfhearted smile at the greeting. "Everything's arranged," he said quietly. "It'll be in the church. Just a small affair, but I suppose that's how he would have wanted it."

His wife returned the smile with one of her own. "Yes. He never liked being crowded much." Here she just about broke down. "Oh, but how he loved this time of the year! It's not fair! Why did this have to happen?"

"There, there, my dear. All things happen for a reason. I'm sure, somehow, this is for the best." He held his wife close, and it was clear that he too was stifling tears.

Suddenly, he looked up. "That reminds me. While we were out, we ran into Mr. Dedede's nephew, Rick. He and his wife were arranging for a loss of their own, so I was able to have a talk with him."

Cratchit took off his coat and hung it on a coat hanger nearby as he continued. "He gave his condolences for Kirby, and then offered to help us out. He said he might even be able to find a position for Tuff."

"Why, that's wonderful, darling," Mrs. Cratchit replied, doing her best to put on a brave face.

He nodded back. "With the added income, well finally be able to mend the problems with this old house."

A quiet fell over the whole house after this. It was clear that a single topic had taken hold of the occupants' minds, and all other small talk seemed rather shallow and pointless. The only sound was muffled sobs from the younger children.

Finally, Mrs. Cratchit turned. "I suppose I had best get Kirby ready." With that, she turned to go upstairs.

Mr. Cratchit nodded. "I suppose so. It's getting close to the time."

Dedede turned to the spirit. "What are they talking about?" he asked, his tone rather distressed. "That li'l fella's alright, isn't he?"

Once again, the ghost didn't answer. He did, however, close his eyes before looking down. When he opened them up, they were a deep blue with flecks of white in them. The scene shifted once more, and now they were standing in a graveyard. They stood in front of a little tombstone by a freshly buried grave. There was a single name written on it.

"Kirby Cratchit."

Dedede backed up in shock. "No," was all he could manage to spit out. He turned once more to the spirit. "Come on, this can't be what you were meant to show me! There's got to be something else."

Meta Knight looked intently at the Pengu, as if examining to see if he was properly ready. He then nodded, before moving through the grave yard. Dedede followed hesitantly, not eager to see what the specter was leading to but fearing what would happen if he did not obey more.

When the duo had moved about halfway through the graveyard, the ghost suddenly stopped. There was nothing to be seen other than the back of an abandoned tombstone. The spirit then turned his burning gaze on Dedede and pointed to it.

"I'd rather not," the Pengu responded, attempting to back up. The ghost's eyes flashed bright red with impatient energy, as if commanding Dedede to obey. In a quick movement, he did so, walking around to see the front of the tombstone.

It read "Ebenezer Dedede."

Immediately, he threw himself at the spirit's feet. "Please, this can't be the future! It just can't be! Please, say it's not!"

The ghost merely closed his eyes and turned as if to leave.

Dedede continued, gathering the hem of the ghost's cape in his hands while he implored. "Please say it can change! I'll be good, I promise! I'll help others! I'll appreciate those in my life! I'll do my best to do right by everyone I know! Just please tell me this isn't set in stone!"

The spirit turned around once more, and his eyes were grass-green. For the first time, he spoke, his voice rich and low. "It is as you say. Now do so!" With that, he pulled his cape over himself and Dedede, and the graveyard seemed to vanish in a swirl of dark fabric.


	5. Five

Dedede awoke, flailing around in the dark cloth. It wasn't for a few moments that he realized that what he was struggling with was not the spirit's cape, but his own bed sheets. Indeed, the spirit was nowhere to be seen.

"Why, it's my own room!" he declared happily once the truth hit him. "I'm back in my own house. The travels are over!"

He glanced at the clock just to be certain. It showed the time seven o'clock. "It's the morning!" Suddenly, a shocking though came to him. All those spirits had arrived at one, so had these trips taken only one night, or had it been more?

He leaned out the window to find out. Outside, three Cappy kids were playing on the walk in front of his house. "Hey, you kids!" he called out. "Over here!"

The kids paused in their play when they heard the Pengu's call. The leader of the children, a young boy with a spikey hair cut, responded after a few moments. "We're sorry, Mr. Dedede. We'll be on our way now."

"No, wait!" Dedede shouted quickly. "What day is it?"

"What day is it?" The boy looked confusedly up at him. "Why, it's Christmas morning."

"So it did all happen in one night," the old Pengu muttered to himself. He couldn't imagine how that could have been, but considering what the fairy, mouse, and Puffal had been capable of, he didn't find it all too odd.

Another idea then came to him, so he called back out to the children. "Hey, is that turkey at the grocery still there?"

It was the girl who answered this time. "You mean the one that's as big as I am? Yeah, it's still there. Why do you want to know?"

Dedede threw down a bundle of money. "Go down to the grocers and order it. Tell them to send it to the household of Ebrum Cratchit and bring me the receipt. I'll give you each a reward for running this errand."

The kids looked up, first in shock, then in delight. "You bet!" the boy said. "We'll be back in a few minutes!" With that, they took off to complete their errand.

As he waited for their return, the Pengu prepared for the day. He was almost too giddy to do the simple jobs it required, but he didn't notice.

True to their word, the Cappy kids returned a few minutes later with the receipt. Dedede happily handed the kids a good amount of money each, before heading out to fulfil several errands on his way to work.

The first stop was Rick's house. To say the young hamster was surprised by the visit would be an understatement, but he happily greeted his uncle and warmly welcomed him inside. His joy was expanded when he discovered the reason for the visit was to apologize for the former rude behavior and to give his blessing to the upcoming marriage. It was rather difficult for Dedede to leave, but he had other goals to achieve before the day was through, so he bid Rick a merry Christmas and headed on his way.

As luck would have it, his next mission came right at him not five minutes after he had left Rick's. He spotted, as he moved towards his shop, the two figures of Sword and Blade. The duo saw him as well, and at first attempted to move out of the Pengu's way. However, he stopped them short by grabbing Sword by the hand.

"Mr. Sword!" Dedede said, cheerfully shaking the other's hand. "A merry Christmas to you! And to you too, Mr. Blade! I'm so glad that I found you!"

"You are?" Sword asked incredulously.

"I am, and I have reconsidered my donation." He whispered the amount he intended to donate to Sword, who just about fell over in shock. "And not a penny less!" the Pengu declared when he had finished.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Dedede," Sword said when he had regained his composure. "We're so thankful for your contribution. Merry Christmas!"

Dedede said his goodbyes and headed in to his shop. He waited there for several hours before the sound of a door opening announced the arrival of his two clerks. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the joke he was going to play, before doing his best to make a stern, sever expression.

"You two!" he snapped. "Into my office now!"

The duo came in about as slowly as they could. Mr. Cratchit clutched his hat close, and Bandana pulled his namesake over his eyes, as he often did when he was nervous.

"Well, sir," Mr. Cratchit stuttered, trying to think of what to say. "I-I know we're late, but sir-"

"You're darn right you're late," Dedede scowled. "I've made up my mind on what to do about you! I'm going to raise your salary!"

"B-but sir!" Cratchit started, but he cut himself off when he processed what was said. "Excuse me, sir? Did you just say 'raise our salary'?"

"I certainly did!" the Pengu's scowl changed into a bright smile as he threw his arms over to duo's shoulders. "We'll discuss this matter promptly tomorrow. Today, there is the matter of Christmas to attend to!" With that, the three left the workshop.

Three pairs of eyes turned away from what they just witnessed. Happiness in the success of their mission permeated the atmosphere.

"Oh!" Ribbon squealed excitedly. "I always love a happy ending!"

"Indeed," Daroach nodded, causally tossing his can between his paws. "He was a tough nut to crack, but it looks like the message finally got through to him."

Meta Knight's eyes turned bright blue and he pulled his hood back. "It has. He meant it when he made those promises, and he will follow through on them. He will do all in his power to help others, which will avert the horrors of before. In particular, young Kirby will live, and he will become like a second father to the boy."

"Well," Daroach commented to his companions, "I suppose that means our work here is done. Shall we be on our way?"

The others nodded, and without another sound the trio vanished in a swirl of snow.

From that day on, Cappy Town seemed changed for the better. Dedede always remembered his little adventure with the spirits, and though he never saw them again, their message was always clear in his mind. It soon became a common sight to see the Pengu often in the company of others, and especially of Kirby, who would greet passersby with, "God bwess us, ev'yun!"

The end.


End file.
